Rust 490

In 2014 the team at Dolphin worked with partners to set up Rust490 – originally a creative workshop space, and an innovation collaborative meeting place for ideas, partnership building and creative “start up thinking” for business development.

Rust 490’s mantra is People ideas and technology creating impact – flourish with us

in 2015 Rust490 opened on Friday mornings as a hub space, open to all whether local or travelling through Darwin, people dropping in just to work, or to meet others interested in ideas and ways to make business happen.Over the year an amazing array of Darwinians and visitors from all around the world dropped by demonstrating once again that we are a global village, and that like minds connect.

In 2016 Rust 490 opened as a coworking space, and an ideas and connection space, Monday to Wednesday. But that didn’t work – a local downturn – and a small space, and no cafe next door! And Darwin public transport sucks. But we learnt a lot. So we kept questing.

Rust 490 left few stones unturned in its quest to find an apt business model for fostering entrepreneurial thinking, technology leaps and creative innovative business in Darwin. Small scale in population, lack of cohesion as intersecting communities in an ecosystem, and the dominant local business culture all play a part in relative slowness to embrace the changes in our worlds of work, business and connective enabling technology.

In 2017 Rust 490 helped create IdeasFest, the first ideas innovation community festival in Darwin in April. Jude Ellen was a mentor / coach and an organiser. Jude also helped instigate the first Govhack NT weekend in 2017 generating an astounding array of projects, and was a champion for Australia Post Regional Pitch Fest Darwin / (February to July 2017). In late 2017 Australia Post Regional Pitchfest selected Jude as one of ten national Regional Activators, forming a new network to map and plan for the rise of regional entrepreneurialism and regional creativity in a global context.

In setting up Rust 490 we are part of a global movement, a resurgence of entrepreneurial innovation thinking, in conversations for doing things differently, spurred by rapidly changing business models underpinned by shifts in technology, connection and communication, and by specialisation. Collaboration across conventional boundaries and industries works since no one person can single handedly realise an idea.